Initiation
by LeisaTheGreat
Summary: When Sasuke suddenly shows up, claiming he wants to return to the Leaf Village, Naruto isn't sure what to think. Except that he's positive there's more to his former teammate's motives than meets the eye... So when the members of Team 7 are sent on a 'trial mission', how will things pan out? REVIEWS make me happy! (Book 1)
1. Return of the Raven

_**Chapter One**_

_**A/N: This chapter is pretty short but I promise the others will be longer. Also, I am planning on this being a two-parter (another fanfiction will follow this one as a kind of 'sequel'). Anyway, I hope you like the first chapter! :DD**_

Soft, golden light filters through the canopy of leaves that seems to blanket the entire forest. To the east, the sun is still creeping up into the sky, painting the horizon a mural of pinks and yellows. There's a distinct scent in the air. One like freshly cut grass and early morning dew. All of the forest's life is still asleep at this hour, so the only sound to be heard...is the rythmic thumping of sandles on a tree's branches and the hiss of air as it breaks around a speeding figure.

A boy, no older than seventeen, zips through the woods. His pale skin and jet black hair looking out of place amongst all the green and gold of the trees and sky. The young man stares straight ahead, his gaze never deterring from his set path, which leads him directly to the north. There's a slight frown on his pale lips.

_I'm going to have to see them soon..._ He realizes, not for the first time since he left. _I wonder how they will react about seeing me after so long... _A feeling of uneasiness settles in his chest at the thought of facing one thing in particular. Or, better yet, one _person_. The same person who had practically plauged him for three years. At first, the person had only invaded his mind and dreams... Until a few months ago...when his old team had actually managed to track him down. And that one person, of course, was there.

His experssion darkens even further. _You'll probably be ecstatic...won't you, Usuratonkachi?_

* * *

"Oi, Naruto!" Kakashi sighs, heavily as he tries to catch up to his student. "What did I just say? Our mission may be over but we still need to stay in formation!"

Beside the older Jonin, Yamato shakes his head. _How Kakashi has managed to deal with his students this long is beyond me...I barely have enough energy to handle Naruto for a single mission...!_

Far ahead of them, Naruto spins around and flashes a brilliant smile. "Oh come on, Kakashi-sensei!" He cheers, loudly. "We're so close to the village already! Why slow down now?"

Kakashi sighs again and just continues to gain speed, not liking how far his young student was from them. If they were to be attacked, he wouldn't be able to help Naruto if need be. Not that Naruto really needed his help...not anymore. Within the past few years, the loud-mouthed, energetic blonde had become one of the most powerful shinobi in the entire Leaf Village. He's far beyond needing the protection of his mentor.

It's because Kakashi is deep in thought about these things, that he doesn't notice when Naruto suddenly stops, dead in his tracks. His azure eyes wide with shock. The silver haired Jonin nearly collides with his student, but catches himself at the last moment.

"What's the matter?" Kakashi asks him, vaugely noticing when Yamato drops to the branch beside them.

"Someone's nearby." Naruto mutters, looking tense.

Kakashi hesitates. He hadn't felt any presence... "Are you sur-"

"Oi." The voice is unwavering, even. And firmiliar.

Kakashi braces himself for what's to come next. He has no idea why his old student would suddenly show up on his own like this...but surely, there was a fight to be had. Yamato tenses as well, readying himself to supress the kyuubi, Naruto's inner demon.

Without moving an inch, Naruto says, "It's been a while...Sasuke."

"Yeah." Sasuke folds his arms. "But I'm not here for small talk, Usuratonkachi."

Naruto, who had remained relatively calm thus far, can't help his heart from leaping into his throat at the sound of the insulting nickname. He hadn't heard it since Sasuke abandoned the village...three years ago. Why would he suddenly show up on his own? And talking as if...as if they weren't enemies now...? His teeth grind together as he tries to keep himself calm. "Oh?" He asks. "Are you ready to fight me now?"

Sasuke's eyes narrow. Naruto isn't acting like he'd expected. "No."

Only then does Naruto turn to face him. "Then why're you here?"

Sasuke pauses, his answer seemed to cling in his throat. He doesn't want to admit the reason he's there... "I guess you could say...I want to return to Konoha."


	2. Reunion

_**Chapter Two**_

The tension in the air could be cut with a knife. Kakashi, Yamato and Naruto stand side by side, facing Sasuke. The older men hold tense stances, ready to fight if need be. However, oddly enough, Naruto and Sasuke seem to be totally at ease. Observing each other with curious expressions.

_Naruto isn't acting like himself. _Sasuke decides, noticing the way that the blonde's companions keep cutting him surprised looks, as if they're shocked he's not doing something. After all, isn't it Naruto's ambition and promise of a lifetime to return Sasuke to the village? And here he is, five feet away, asking to go home... Shouldn't Naruto be excited?

"You...want to go back...?" Naruto asks, eyeing Sasuke suspiciously.

Sasuke just nods.

"Why?" The young ninja folds his arms. "What's changed?"

The raven haired teen sighs. "I guess...you were right."

_What? _ Naruto recoils slightly.

"I'm sure you heard that I killed my brother."

Naruto nods, his expression firm.

"Revenge didn't make me feel any better..." Sasuke admits, simply.

"And that's why you want to go back?" Kakashi asks, crossing his arms.

"Yeah."

Yamato and Kakashi exchange suspicious looks. It's obvious they don't believe his story. "Okay," Kakashi decides. "We'll take you to the village. But that means, as of now, you're our prisoner. Don't do anything stupid." The two Jonin usher him into their loose formation, surrounding him. "Let's go."

But Naruto doesn't move. His eyes remain locked on the ground between his feet, a tight expression on his face.

"Naruto?" Yamato asks. "What's wrong?"

The blonde hesitates for a moment. "Nothing." And with that, he hurries to join them as they start leaping through the trees once again.

_What's up with him? _Sasuke wonders, idly.

Naruto doesn't look back even once. It's almost like he's ignoring Sasuke, or maybe he's just too deep in thought to notice the silence.

_Yeah, _ Naruto decides. _Something's definitely wrong here. There's no way Sasuke, even now, would ever admit I'm right. He's too proud. _Grinding his teeth together, he struggles to stay in formation, beside Kakashi. _ He's planning something. That's for sure._

* * *

As soon as the remnants of Team 7 step foot inside the village, all eyes turn toward them. Not that this was an odd occurrence, seeing as Naruto is the Leaf Village's Hero and all. But, this time, those eyes are not full of admiration and wonder... Today, they're all trained, intently, on Sasuke. A man none of them have seen for over three years. He's a rogue and they know it.

"_That's Sasuke Uchiha!_" Someone whispers.

"_Didn't he abandon the village?!_" Someone else gasps.

"_Naruto fought him three years ago but was defeated!_"

"_You mean Naruto Uzumaki?! The hero?!_"

"_Yes!_"

"_He must be strong...why is he here now?_"

"_But look, Naruto's with him...what's going on here?_"

"_Maybe he's their prisoner..._"

The whispers continue this way the entire time Team 7 makes their way through the village. Suspicious, even hate-filled eyes always seem find to Sasuke even though he travels at the center of the group.

"_Traitor!_"

"_Snake!_"

"_Back-stabber!_"

"_Let's just hope the Hokage puts him in prison for a long time!_"

* * *

_Knock, knock, knock_

"Enter!" Lady Tsunade calls from her place at the desk. She hurriedly shoves the mountainous stacks of paperwork to the side and wipes the trail of drool from her cheek. _This had better be important!_

The door creaks open.

"Sorry to bother you, My Lady." Sakura says as she steps inside. "But I was wondering if I could borrow that Medical Journal that was just brought in yesterday. I wanted to check up on the illness one of patients at the hospital has..."

"Uh, yeah yeah..." Tsunade motions to the bookshelf beside her. "Help yourself..." She grumbles, sleepily.

Sakura smiles, apologetically. She pulls the thick journal from the shelf before turning to her mentor. "Say, Lady Tsuande." She mumbles, suddenly. "Wasn't Naruto's mission supposed to be over today?"

The Hokage nods.

"Shouldn't they...be home by now?"

"Sakura, you get like this every time they're a little late. It's fine."

The rosette lowers her gaze. "Yeah...you're right. Thanks for letting me borrow this My La-"

"GRANDMA TSUNADE!"

Sakura grins at the firmiliar voice. "It's about time you got back, Naruto!" She laughs, hurrying to the door to greet her teammate. "What took you guys so..." Sakura's eyes go wide. She takes a step back.

"Hm?" Tsunade straightens up. "What's wrong?"

"S...Sasu..." She breathes.

"What?"

That's when Naruto, Yamato and Kakashi step into her office, soon followed by an achingly firmiliar boy with jet black hair and matching dark eyes. His hands are bound behind his back even though he doesn't seem to be struggling. He glances sideways at Sakura as he passes her.

"Sasuke..." Tsunade says, trying hard to mask her surprise. A moment later, she regains her composure, leaning her head in her hands. "It's been a while."

"Yeah..." He agrees, casually.

Her next question is directed toward Naruto. "I send you on a mission to protect the Feudal Lord's son...and you come home with a rogue ninja?"

The blonde smirks, half-heartedly. "What can I say? I'm an over-achiever."

"Pff, since when?"

All eyes instantly flick to Sasuke as he says this. And he immediately curses himself. It had just felt natural for him to say that. But, obviously, no one is in the mood to joke around...

"So," Tsunade is the one to break the silence. "How did it happen? I'm assuming there was fight...though neither of you look hurt."

Naruto shakes his head. "No. We were on our way home and he just...appeared. He said he wanted to return to the village..."

Sakura's eyes can't get any wider at this point. _He...is here on his own will? But...why?_

"Well you're here now." Tsunade challenges. "So what are you after?"

A little smirk twitches at the corner of Sasuke's mouth. It's not like he'd expected them to blindly welcome him with open arms and ask no questions...but for everyone to be this openly suspicious...It simply caught him off guard. "I'm here as an ally." He tells her. "I'd like to rejoin Team 7 and serve the village once again."


	3. Ulterior Motives

_**Chapter Three**_

_**A/N: I'm trying REALLY hard to keep to the present-tense (minus flashbacks, of course). But it's weirdly hard for me. Even though I'm used to writing in present tense, I'm also used to writing...strangely I guess. I usually sort of go back and forth between present and past tense, just because it sounds good to me. But I got some complaints about it and thought I'd better fix it. So...I apologize if anything sounds awkward or forced. That's just me trying to make things sound decent while staying in one tense. Anyway, let me know what you think about the tenses and the story. :D Thanks for reading! PS. SORRY FOR THE DELAY...I got really sick out of nowhere. But now I'm back, BABY! :D**_

* * *

_"Sasuke," _

_ The cave was almost entirely dark. The only source of light came from a few cracks and crevices in the boulder that blocked the entrance. They provided just enough light so that Sasuke could barely make out the ghostly figure that stood before him. Madara Uchiha watched him, closely. His Sharingan blazing in the darkness._

_ "What do you want?" Sasuke had demanded. _

_ The masked man tilted his head as if Sasuke's brashness confused him. "You've just recently joined our ranks." He explained. "But, already, you're one of my most trusted members." There was a short pause before he continued. "However, you can't continue to run around baring the name Akatsuki, without helping our cause."_

_ "Oh?" Sasuke sighed. He had a feeling he knew where this was going._

_ "There's something that needs to get done. And I think you're just the man to do it." He said, darkly._

* * *

"You want to rejoin Team 7?" Tsunade repeats, sounding dazed. She obviously hadn't expected to hear that. "Why? Why did you show up like this, all of a sudden?"

Sasuke shrugs. "I got my revenge on Itachi...but it didn't do me much good." He admits. This is the same story he gave to Naruto... But it doesn't seem to work any better the second time.

Tsunade glares at him. "And?"

"And...nothing." He grumbles. "I killed my brother and fulfilled my ambition. I'm done with that. Now I just want things to go back to normal."

Those words seem to grasp Sakura's heart. And they squeeze ruthlessly, until tears spring into her eyes. _He wants to come back...?_ She bows her head, trying to hide the steady flow of tears that soak her cheeks. _He wants things to be the way they were before...? _ It's like her dream has come true. Except... She looks up.

Naruto's expression is tight. His eyes look distant but are locked intently on Sasuke. As if he's afraid to look away...like if he does, his friend might dissapear again. His posture is tense, his fists clenched. He doesn't look happy.

This is nothing like how Sakura had dreamed it would be.

There hadn't been an epic fight...or heartfelt speech. There is no happiness or relief. Just tension and suspicion. Sasuke is back...but it doesn't feel like it.

"Normal?" Tsunade sighs. "Fine."

Sakura and Naruto snap back to reality when she says that.

"You seem sincere enough, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt." Her eyes flick over to Sasuke's former teammates for a split second. "For their sake."

"I assume I'm not off the hook just yet." He says, folding his arms.

"Not even close." She agrees. "First thing's first. I'll have you interrogated to see just how pure your intentions really are."

"My Lady..." Sakura mumbles. But when the Hokage looks at her, she finds nothing to say. So she just lowers her head again. There's just so much she wants to say...or do. She can't make up her mind. Maybe it's just her thirteen-year-old feelings resurfacing again...but having Sasuke interrogated...it doesn't sound right.

Sasuke nods. "Very well." He had been expecting this.

As if on que, a pair of ANBU appear out of nowhere. They straighten up and motion for Sasuke to follow them. One of them turns to Tsunade, bows, and says, "We'll keep you informed, My Lady." And then all three of them dissapear.

There's a moment of uncomfortable silence before Tsunade sighs. "Alright, I'll call you two back when the interrogation is over."

Sakura doesn't respond. Her emerald green eyes flick over to Naruto, who is standing perfectly still and silent. His expression tense.

No...this is nothing like how she'd dreamed it would be.

* * *

When Sasuke opens his eyes again, he's no longer standing in the Hokage's office. Instead, he-and the two ANBU-are inside a small room somewhere else entirely. The walls and floors are concrete, soundproof. A red-ish glow emanates from a single light bulb overhead, casting an eerie glow throughout the chamber. The only things in the room are a metal table that is nailed to the floor, as well as two plastic chairs. One on either side of the table. The ANBU exchange looks that Sasuke can't read because of their masks.

"Take a seat." One of them instructs.

Sasuke obeys.

"Now then..." One ANBU-who's mask has the furious features of a wolf-glances at the other. "I can take it from here."

The other doesn't respond at first. And, even though Sasuke can't tell where the man is looking, thanks to the mask, he feels the Foundation member's eyes on his.

Sasuke leans back in his chair, feeling slightly satisfied. _He's intimidated by me._

Without another word, the wolf-masked ANBU's partner exits the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

There's a long pause before anyone speaks. But then...

"Phew, I thought he'd never leave!" Wolf-mask sighs in relief, causing Sasuke to frown in confusion. "What?" Wolf asks. "Didn't anyone tell you we have people of the 'inside'?"

And then it all makes sense. "Yeah, I was told." Sasuke says. "Just didn't think they're resourceful enough to get one of theirs into the ANBU..."

"Yeah, we do pretty well...say, are you new?" He wonders. "I mean...you look familiar but..."

Sasuke shakes his head. "I'm new. But my brother wasn't..."

"Your brother...?" Wolf tilts his head. "Ohh...Itachi Uchiha's your brother then. I _was_ curious about the connection." He admits.

"So?" Sasuke sits up again. "What do we do now?"

"Nothing." Wolf shrugs. "Just gotta stay in here long enough to fake an interrogation and then I'll give your passing grade to Lady Hokage. After that, it's all you."

Sasuke nods. "Pretty complicated process...just for one person."

"Yeah, well...he's the key to the whole operation. Without him, the plan can't happen. That's why the boss-man sent you, right? You used to know him or something?"

The Uchiha's eyes darken. "Yeah. He's my former teammate."


	4. Bonds

_**Chapter Four**_

_**A/N: There's a flashback in this chapter that might seem 'out of place' but it IS relevant. Trust me, it will become important soon enough.**_

_SMASH!_

_ Shards of rock and dirt sprayed into the air when as Sasuke's body slammed into the face of the mountain. Blood dripped from his mouth. But even then, with Naruto's arm pressed against his throat, his face betrayed no emotion. _

_ Naruto's voice was a growl when he said, "You have to wake up! I'll bring you back to the village...even if I have to break every bone in your body...and DRAG you back!"_

_ Sasuke was silent for a long moment. So long that Naruto began to wonder if the other boy had even heard him. But then- "Heh..."_

_ "Huh?"_

_ "Heh...heh heh heh..." Sasuke's shoulders shook with his quiet laughter. "You crack me up..." He mutters. "You've got no parents...no siblings...what can you possibly know about me...?"_

_ Naruto recoiled slightly, a dull pain jolted through his chest._

_ "YOU WERE ALONE TO BEGIN WITH! WHAT CAN YOU KNOW ABOUT ME?! HUHH?!" Sasuke's foot crashed into Naruto's ribs, sending him flying off the rocky wall. "This pain is born from my family bonds! How could YOU ever know what it means to lose ANYTHING?!"_

_YOU COULD NEVER UNDERSTAND ME!_

* * *

"-uto?"

"Huh?" Naruto straightens up, spinning around to find Sakura standing behind him. She's frowning slightly, her head tilted in concern. "Uh, sorry. What did you say?" He asks, sheepishly.

The rosette watches him for a second before saying, "I just asked...if you were feeling alright." She says. "You seem kind of distant today..."

Naruto lowers his head. "Uh, yeah." He tells her. "I'm fine...just a little tired from the mission, I guess."

_No...there's something else wrong with him. Probably concerning Sasuke..._ She sighs, quietly. _But, whatever the reason, I can't stand seeing him like this...all distant and sullen...it's not natural. _After taking a deep breath, she forces a smile onto her face. "You? Tired?" She laughs, suddenly. "Naruto, I didn't think you knew the _meaning_ of the word 'tired'!"

He looks up at her in surprise.

"But if you're really that exhausted, you should probably go take a nap or something. Seriously, it sucks when you act all down like this!"

"Heh..." He grins at her attempt to cheer him up, not fooled for one second by her fake smiles and laughter. But it seems to work. It's like his entire being lights up when he smiles at her. "Yeah, that's probably a good idea. But, honestly, I might be more hungry than anything...I think I'm gonna hit Ichiraku's first."

She nods, her smile looking a tad bit more honest.

"Say, Sakura..." He grins, coyly, twiddling his thumbs for a moment. "Do you wanna come with me? Ya' know...like a date?"

"Pff!" She rolls her eyes. "Sorry, Naruto. But I've got better things to be doing than stuffing my face with ramen." She holds up the medical journal that she had borrowed from Tsunade. "Besides, I need to get back to the hospital to check on my patients."

"Okay, okay..." He sighs, rejected once again. "Have fun with that, I guess."

"Yeah, right." She chuckles, sarcastically. "It's real fun..." As she's strolling away, she calls back, "Have fun stuffing your face."

"I will!" His voice is already far off in the distance.

Sakura laughs, shaking her head. _Idiot._

* * *

_Knock, knock, knock_

"Enter." Wolf-mask straightens up in his chair, trying to look official as someone steps into the interrogation room. It's his partner. "What is it?"

"I've come to check on your progress with Sasuke Uchiha." The ANBU says, firmly.

"We're doing well. Anything else?" Wolf asks.

"No sir. Continue." His partner backs out of the room and closes the door behind him.

"So as I was saying!" Wolf chuckles. "Then she looks at me and says-"

"Listen." Sasuke growls. At this point, he's pretty sure if he has to hear one more of this guy's stories, he would rip his hair out. "When can we be done here? I'd like to get started with my mission so I can get back to doing what's relevant to _me_."

"Oh, sorry!" Wolf says. "I get carried away sometimes!"

_You think? _Sasuke reaches up to massage the headache out of his temples.

"Well...I'd say this would pass as a believable amount of time..." He stands up, shuffling the pile of paper work he'd been filling out during their time together. It's all just formal nonsense that just states Sasuke is trustworthy to be back in the field. Wolf sticks out his hand. "Congratulations, Sasuke. Looks like you're free to go."

* * *

"What? Already?!" Naruto and Sakura are standing on the edge of a sidewalk, pressed as close to the wall of a nearby building as possible so they don't get in the way of the crowds.

Sakura nods, furiously. "Shizune found me at the hospital and told me...Sasuke passed the interrogation and is being re-installed into Team 7!"

"He passed..." Naruto mutters, his face paling considerably. "Is that...really possible?"

The rosette's expression darkens slightly, her brow creased with worry. "You okay?" She asks, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You don't look so good..."

"I'm fine." He insists. "Just...surprised I guess."

"Yeah, me too...I didn't think they'd let him go so easily." She says.

"Me neither."

"I mean...he's a criminal, right? A rogue...how could he...?" She mumbles.

Naruto shakes his head. "I don't know...but if the ANBU says he's okay then..."

"It must be true." Sakura finishes his thought for him, sounding just as unsure as he had. "But that still begs the question...why now? Why is he back all of sudden?"

"He claims it's because his revenge didn't make him happy." Naruto reminds her.

"I don't buy it." She folds her arms. "Whether his motives are pure or not, that's not why he's here. Sasuke never does anything on whim like that...he's got a purpose for coming back."

"I think so too." Naruto agrees. He pauses. "Did Shizune say anything else?"

"Yeah. We have a mission..."

"We...?"

"As in you, me...and Sasuke. She called it our 'trial mission'. To test our teamwork after so long." She explains.

"What's the job?"

She smirks, half-heartedly. "That's the real kicker...ready for this? To protect some workers while they repair...a bridge."

"Wow." Naruto rolls his eyes. "Just like old times, huh...? Land of Waves all over again."

"You said it." She grumbles. "Anyway, we'll meet at the Village Gates tomorrow morning, okay? And please. Don't be late."

Naruto nods. "I won't. See you tomorrow."

"See you."


	5. Trial Mission

_**Chapter Five**_

_**A/N: I wrote this entire chapter while listening to the songs 'Saika', 'Kokuten' and 'Hyouhaku'...the more you know... XD**_

_He's back. _A smile slowly creeps onto Naruto's face as he walks down the street, his hands stuffed into his pockets. The blonde boy can't help almost giggling at the blissful thought. _Sasuke is back! _It feels like a dream. Like it's almost too easy. But it isn't a dream. It's real. _Sasuke is BACK! _ "Hee, hee!" Naruto's shoulders quake with his quiet laughter. Honestly, he can't remember what had him so suspicious the day before. All he knows now is, SASUKE IS BACK! Their team is together again! And he couldn't be happier.

* * *

A light breeze whispers through the village gates, where Sakura is waiting for her teammates to arrive. Even though it's still early, she feels restless. Like she just wants to get to the mission, get it done, and get home. The young medic sighs, deeply as she stares off into space.

"Sakura!"

"AH!" She spins around, a shocked squeak escaping her throat. "N-Naruto! What the heck is wrong with you?!" She demands, furiously. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Naruto tilts his head in confusion. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

She looks away from him, scowling at the ground. "It's okay."

"Hey, is something wrong? You seem kinda upset." He asks, leaning closer to get a better look at her face.

Sakura reaches up and pushes him back. "I'm fine..." She mutters. "But on the other hand, you seem to be in better spirits today."

Naruto smirks. "Yeah, I don't know what was wrong with me yesterday..."

"This whole thing just feels...weird." She says.

"..." Naruto doesn't respond at first. "...well I guess the most we can do now, is complete this mission and see what happens."

"I guess." She agrees.

* * *

_Team 7, huh?_ Sasuke stares down at the photo in his hand. The same one he'd left behind three years ago. _It's almost eerie. _In the photo, his younger self is frowning, grumpily because he hadn't wanted his picture taken. It was a waste of time, after all. Why take the time to do that when they could be training?! Beside him, Sakura was smiling happily. And beside her...

Sasuke frowns. _Were Naruto and I really friends back then...?_ _It's almost hard to believe now...that I considered him...my closest friend. _He sets the picture down. _But now...everything is so different. The only reason I'm even here is to-_

"Hey, Teme."

"Hm?" Sasuke turns around to find Naruto and Sakura standing outside his open window. Sakura's hands are folded in front of her, her eyes downcast. She seems reluctant to look at Sasuke. Naruto, on the other hand, is leaning casually on the windowsill.

"I thought maybe you'd overslept or something...figures you're just brooding." He teases, grinning evilly.

"Hn." He sets the photo down and starts to walk toward the door. "Don't push your luck, Usuratonkachi."

"Hey." Naruto calls firmly. "Are you forgetting something?"

Sasuke stops. "What?"

The blonde boy glares at him. "Here." He tosses something to Sasuke, which he catches easily. Naruto's expression softens suddenly. "It's not your old one, for obvious reasons but...you should wear it."

A brand new Leaf Village headband lays in the palm of Sasuke's hand. Its metal plate is unscratched, unlike the one Sasuke ruined to mark his abandonment of the village...three years ago.

_What a pain. _ Sasuke nods, reaching up to tie the headband over his forehead. _Why did Madara have to choose ME for this mission? Capturing ONE guy, particularly NARUTO, shouldn't be that hard!_

_Then why haven't you tried yet...?_

"C'mon, Sasuke! Hurry it up or we'll end up being late!" Naruto calls behind him.

"Shut up, Usuratonkachi!" Sasuke growls, ignoring the question he'd asked himself.

"What'd you say?!" Naruto demands.

"Come on, guys! Our team just got put back together...don't start fighting already!" Sakura urges, stepping between them.

"Pff! Whatever..." Naruto mumbles as he shoves his hands back into his pockets and looks away. Both of his teammates miss the satisfied grin on his face. Oddly enough, it felt good to be able to argue with Sasuke again... and not have the threat of death looming down over him if he did.

But maybe even more stunning...is the equally amused smirk playing on Sasuke's face. Maybe it's just nostalgia...but being with his old team again does hold a certain...appeal. Even if it is only for a little while.

* * *

By the time Team 7 reaches the site of their first official mission, it's already early evening and the workers are packing up to go home. This bridge, which can barely be called that at this point, is just a framework of wooden posts and half-hammered nails, swinging dangerously between the peaks of two mountains. A few sloppily constructed temporary houses are lined up nearby. They're the kind that can built in a few hours and torn down with little remorse or wasted time. Undoubtedly, this is where Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura are going to be staying while they preform their mission.

"Hmm, looks like they just started. How long do you think this will take?" Naruto grumbles, his arms folded.

"No clue." Sakura admits. "But we're supposed to find someone named Kame. Apparently, she's the person overseeing this whole project."

"She's the one who hired us?" Naruto asks.

"Yep. Some kind of rich business woman, by the way it sounds."

"Well, I'm not as rich as I am ambitious. But I guess that depends on your definition of the word." From behind them, a slender woman in a business suit strolls across the pavement. She smiles pleasantly and says, "I'm Kame. And I assume you're the shinobi I hired?"

Sakura blushes awkwardly, hating that their client overheard what they'd said. "Um, yes ma'am. I'm Sakura Haruno."

"Naruto Uzumaki." He says, grinning broadly at her.

"Sasuke Uchiha."

"Well it's nice to meet the three of you. But come to think of it, aren't you guys a little old to be a rookie team? That's who I sent out for..."

Naruto flinches. _I'm still genin... But wait! That means that Sasuke is-_

"Um yes...well, it's a long story but our team just recently got assembled and we're a little out of practice when it comes to teamwork." Sakura explains. "But no need to worry, we've got it handled."

Kame nods. "I'm sure you do. This won't be hard, anyhow. We just need some eyes on the forest to make sure no bandits try to pull anything."

"We can take care of a few bandits." Sasuke assures her with a roll of his eyes. As if the insinuation is insulting. Which it almost is...

"Yeah! We're all a little tougher than we look..." Naruto adds, snickering.

"Oh, really? Well that's good." She smiles, satisfied with the reassurance. "Well we're planning on being here for about a week. So that's as long as you three will need to stick around."

"Yes ma'am."

She nods and glances back at her workers. "Seems like everyone's just about ready to head home. You guys can make yourselves at home in those houses down there. There are two empty right now; one for Sakura and the boys can share one."

Sakura nods, happy with having a whole building to herself.

Naruto and Sasuke exchange annoyed looks before growling to themselves about how much this week is going to utterly _suck_.


	6. Ninja Way

_**Chapter Six**_

_**A/N: Hm, I think Sasuke might be a little out of character in this chapter. It's only because this is a more-or-less 'transition' chapter. You'll find out what I mean later. (If you already haven't.)**_

_**ALSO! I guest reviewer had a good idea that I decided to incorporate into the fight scene. I don't know why I didn't think of it myself. So, thanks for the suggestion! I works well with what I'm trying to do with the story.**_

* * *

"Mmm!" Sakura stretches her arms high above her head, working the sleepiness from her muscles. "Wow, I don't think I've slept that well in a long time!" She says to herself. She stands up, feeling energized and ready for the mission. _Hmm, I wonder how Naruto and Sasuke made out last night...?_

* * *

"I hate you."

"I hate you too."

"You suck!"

"You're an idiot!"

"You're a jerk!"

As soon as his clothes and shoes are on, Naruto hurries out of the house, eager to be away from Sasuke. His hair is disheveled and there's still a mark on his face his pillow had caused major bed-head. But he doesn't care. He doesn't care that his jacket is unzipped and his shirt is inside out. Or that he's only wearing one shoe. He just wants to get _away _from Sasuke. As fast as possible.

"Morning, Naruto!" Sakura calls, cheerily as she steps outside.

He stops walking, grumbles something that sounds like a 'good morning' and then continues to grump off toward the woods, leaving Sakura dumbfounded.

It's only then that Sasuke emerges from the room, looking much less disarrayed. He strolls right out of the house, his hands in his pockets, and over to where Sakura is standing.

"What's up with him?" She wonders, noting the amused smirk on Sasuke's face with a curious wonderment.

"He's mad at me." Sasuke tells her, sounding almost pleased.

"Why? What happened?"

His grin broadens slightly, threatening to turn into a smile if he's not careful. "I kept waking him up last night."

"Why?" She frowns, arcing an eyebrow.

"The idiot is too loud when he sleeps. He talks to himself...and he punches in his sleep too. I figured if I kept waking him, he'd either end up to tired to sleep-fight or he wouldn't be asleep long enough to annoy me." He shrugs as if its the simplest answer in the world.

Sakura can't help but laugh. Naruto and Sasuke had never acted like friends, even before everything that happened. And they certainly aren't acting like friends now...but... She shakes her head and turns to see Naruto stumbling out of the woods and tugging his shoe on as he walks.

_This feels right. _She decides. _Having them both here...this is the way things are supposed to be. _

Naruto glares at Sasuke when he finally rejoins them. "Sorry about that, Sakura. I had to go to the bathroom."

"It's fine." She says, waving him off. "So I hear you had some trouble sleeping last night...?"

Immediately, the blonde's eyes narrow toward Sasuke. "Yeah. You could say that."

"Hmm, I hope don't that doesn't interfere with the mission..." Sakura mumbles. "You're not too sleepy to keep watch, are you?"

"Huh? No way!" Naruto insists.

"Good. Don't get in the way." Sasuke says, deciding that pushing Naruto over the edge of fury might be entertaining.

Naruto growls at him, his eye twitching. "Sasuke, you're really starting to-"

"_AHHHHHH!_"

"What the?!" All three of them whirl around at the sound of the scream. They turn just in time to find a small army of bandits rushing out of the woods, swords drawn and prepared to attack the workers.

Naruto curses under his breath and starts running. "Let's go guys!"

"Right!" Sakura rushes after him.

"Shadow clone jutsu!" A dozen more Narutos appear and swarm the bandits, throwing kicks and punches, hoping to distract them long enough that the workers can escape. Sakura runs up behind them and joins in on the fight.

Sasuke frowns. Why are his teammates wasting their energy fighting them off? _You two really haven't matured much, have you? _He reaches behind himself and slides the katana off his hip. Channeling his chakra through it, he watches while it begins to glow a faint blue.

Naruto leaps into the air, driving a spinning kick into one of the bandit's chests. Naruto lands back on the ground just as his opponent collapses. The blonde turns around. _Where's Sasuke? _Just then-

"AGHHHH!"

"Huh?!" Waves of electricity roll through the air, killing a handful of bandits. They drop to the ground, their bodies jolting. "Sasuke?!"

The raven is standing several yards away, his sword pointed in their general direction. That's where his murderous jutsu had come from. Once all the bandits have fallen to the ground, Sasuke sheathes his sword and folds his arms, looking bored.

"Sasuke...?" Sakura gasps. _Did he just...kill all of them?_

The Uchiha smirks at his teammates. "You guys were taking too long." He says. "Figured I'd give you a hand-"

Naruto's fist connects with the side of his face, knocking Sasuke off balance. The blonde then proceeds to grab him by his collar and slam his body against a nearby tree. "WHAT WAS THAT, SASUKE?!" He barks, furiously. "YOU DIDN'T HAVE KILL THEM!"

"Pff," Sasuke rolls his eyes. "You're overreacting, idiot."

"No I'm not!" Naruto releases him and takes a step back. "Listen, I don't know how Orochimaru trained you...but that's not how _we_ do things. You're a part of Team 7 now, not a lawless rogue that can get away with murder."

"Oh?" He straightens up, showing off his glowing red eyes. "Are you going to turn me in, Naruto?"

Naruto glares at him, growling angrily. "Sasuke, don't-"

"Knock it off, guys." Sakura comes between them again. Her voice is monotonous, her expression cold. "Now's not the time to fight. Just...help me get the workers together. We can talk later."

"Sakura..." Naruto mumbles, eyeing her closely.

She flashes him a warning look.

He nods. "Okay, fine." With that, he turns quickly and walks off to where the workers are cowering in fear.


	7. Hearts

_**Chapter Seven**_

_**A/N: Lots of non-sensical fluff and stupid stuff in this chapter! XD Just cuteness in general. But there's some action as well so don't skip it!**_

-_"It is said, that high-level ninja can read each other's hearts..._

_just a simple exchange of blows."-_

"Oh my..." Kame sighs deeply, scratching her head as she overlooks the building project. It isn't moving fast enough and, at this rate, they won't finish before their deadline. _It's all because of the bandit attacks. _She decides. There had been several in the last three days. Even though those ninja she'd hired had done a good enough job at keeping them from hurting the workers, the attacks are still a hinderance and are slowing the project down. _What should we do? _She asks herself. _If these attacks don't stop soon, the workers are going to start complaining... _

"Ms. Kame..."

She turns around to find Sakura Haruno standing behind her. The young kunoichi looks troubled and is twirling a lock of her pink hair around her finger. "What is it, Sakura?" Kame asks. "Has something happened?"

"Um, no. Not exactly... It's just..." She hesitates.

"What?"

"We were wondering why the bandits are trying to stop you from working here...I mean, why are they attacking?"

"Oh..." Kame sighs and runs a hand through her hair. She takes a seat on the edge of an over turned bucket. "They don't want a bridge connecting these two mountains. Apparently, that peak over there," She motions to the mountain that the birdge is hoping to connect to where the two women are standingn now. "is some kind of rival tribe's terf or something..."

Sakura frowns. "Should we really be building here then? If it might be endangering your workers then-"

"Listen, I don't have time for this." Kame suddenly jumps to her feet. "I'm not the one who ordered this bridge to be built so it's none of my concern why it's here. All I know is that, if we don't meet this deadline, there will be more problems in the future."

On the other side of the clearing, Sakura's teammates turn to look at Kame's sudden outburst. The blonde one, in particular, seems to tense up as if he's about to come find out why Kame is yelling at his friend.

She sighs. "I'm sorry, Sakura. I'm just really stressed."

The rosette smiles, sweetly. "It's okay. I understand. We were just curious."

Kame nods.

"Is there anything we can do right now?"

"No, just keep watching the trees. Make sure no bandits can attack the workers..."

"Yes ma'am." And with that, she hurries off to meet her friends on the other end of the clearing.

* * *

"What happened?!" Naruto demands as soon as Sakura is within earshot. "She seemed sorta upset."

"Nothing happened. Kame is just stressed out about not meeting her deadline."

He scowls and folds his arms. "Well she didn't need to yell like that...we could hear her all the way over here."

"It's okay, Naruto." Sakura assures him. "Like I said, she's just worried. Don't take it personal."

"Yeah, okay..."

"So?" She asks, leaning closer to them. "Did you guys do what I asked?"

Naruto perks up, grinning broadly. "We sure did!" He elbows Sasuke, playfully before turning around to dig through his backpack. "It took some convincing...and a little bit of Sharingan...but we managed to get a pretty good haul!"

"You used the Sharingan on them?!" She gasps, flashing a look at Sasuke who just shrugs and claims it was Naruto's idea.

Naruto turns again and reveals a sack full of bento and ramen cups. As well as several bottles of water and some random odds and ends candy and junk food. He smiles, proudly at the results he and Sasuke had managed to bring forth.

Sakura smirks. "Why'd you need Sharingan to get food from the store...?"

Naruto's expression goes sour. "The old man who works there thought we were just hoodlums or something...he wouldn't sell us anything!"

"So you _hynotized _him?!"

The two boys chuckle at each other before Naruto pulls out a small box of chocolates. He waves it in front of Sakura's face, teasingly. "Are we forgiven...?"

Scowling, she snatches the box from him. "Yeah, I guess..."

After that, they dig in. Naruto goes straight for the cups of ramen and, oddly enough, Sasuke joins him. The three chat, mindlessly. They aren't worried about bandit attacks since almost every single one has been during the evening. For now, they're just enjoying being around each other. It's almost as if Sauske never left...

But still, Sakura can't help but remember what had happened on their first night on the mission... Sasuke had killed all those bandits. And sure, he apologized the next day, but only because Naruto wouldn't speak to him until he did.

As of now, Sakura is pretty sure he doesn't feel bad about it at all...

_Sasuke...what happened to you when you were with Orochimaru?...The way you think is so different now..._

* * *

That evening passes without a hitch. For once, the bandits don't attack and the workers have no reason to complain. Their work for the day is finished rather quickly and everyone packs up to go home. Kame seems more relaxed than before and floats around the construction site with ease, chatting with her employees and checking on their supplies.

"Do you think, maybe, the bandits have given up trying to stop them...?" Sakura wonders. She turns to her teammates who are casually awaiting theiri next orders.

Naruto shrugs from where he is seated at the base of a tree. "Dunno. I'm just glad one day went by without us having to deal with them...it was getting sorta old day after day..."

"They're probably just regrouping." Sasuke says. "I don't think they're done yet."

"Maybe..." Sakura agrees. "Anyway, it looks like everyone is leaving." She offers them a smile and says goodnight before strolling off toward her house. "Try not to kill each other tonight, okay?"

Sasuke frowns. Sakura had been joking...but... He glances down at Naruto who doesn't notice his teammate's cold eyes on him. _It'll have to be soon...I can't stick around here forever. _

As if on que, Naruto jumps to his feet and stretches his arms above his head. "Yeah, yeah very funny Sakura!" He barks after her.

"Goodnight!~" She giggles.

Naruto makes a show of rolling his eyes. "Night."

_Those two have gotten pretty close. _Sasuke comments to himself. _Weird. She used to hate him, just like I did...DO! _He sighs and runs a hand through his hair, suddenly feeling conflicted.

"Hm? Something the matter?" Naruto mumbles, eyeing him curiously.

"No." He assures him. "Nothing's wrong."

The blonde teen shrugs again and the two boys walk toward their shared house, casually ignoring each other's presence. As soon as the get inside, they go their seperate ways. Naruto slips into the bathroom and Sasuke goes to the bedroom, shutting the door behind himelf.

_Sasuke's acting weirder than normal today..._ Naruto notes. He unzips his jacket and shrugs it off, letting it fall to the floor with a muted thump. _Something is definitely bothering him...not like he'd ever tell me anything though. _He unties his headband and folds it up, stuffing it into his pocket. _But still...I wonder what's bugging him... _

There's a knock on the door and Sasuke's voice filters through. "You almost done in there?"

"Yeah." Naruto scoops up his jacket and opens the door. "All yours." He steps aside and lets Sasuke in, their shoulders bump together as he pulls the door closed behind him.

_"Kill..."_

Naruto freezes. A shudder crawls up his spine at the dark feeling that washes over him. _W-what the...?_ He turns back, slowly. "Sasuke? D-did you say something?" He stammers.

"No." Sasuke grumbles from the other side of the door.

"Are you...sure?"

"I didn't say anything, Dobe." Just then, the door pops open again and Sasuke walks out, now wearing just a black tank top and some gray pants. "Why? Did you hear something?" He asks, only mildly interested.

Naruto lowers his gaze. He isn't sure what he heard... "No. I guess not."

"Then shut up and get some sleep...I definitely think those bandits will be back tomorrow. We've gotta be on our top game."

"Yeah." He nods and follows Sasuke back to where their bedrolls have been laid out. With a small sigh, Naruto sinks onto his make-shift bed, below the window and closes his eyes. "Night..." He mumbles.

"Night."


	8. Deadline

_**Chapter Eight**_

_**A/N: Sorry about the wait! I just haven't been able to cross into 'writing mode' for a couple of days. I don't know what my issue is... ANYWAY! I hope you enjoy this chapter and I'll try not to be such a failure in the future! XD**_

A soft, silver light filters through the blinds that hang over the window in the boys' room. The rest of the small bedroom is bathed in a deep darkness, unbroken by the moonlight. On the new wooden floors inside, there are two bedrolls laid out. Within one of them, Naruto's chest moves slowly while he sleeps, curled up beneath his blanket. The blonde's hair looks almost white under the light of the moon. His face is utterly peaceful. No disturbances disrupt his sleepy, slack-jawed expression. He mumbles, quietly, but nothing compared to what it had been on previous nights.

Sasuke sighs and leans back against the wall, silently cursing the insomnia that had begun to plague him the night before. It still continues tonight. _I wonder what time it is... _ He muses, tiredly. The Uchiha glances over to Naruto and considers waking him up. _What good would that do? There's nothing he could do to help me sleep AND he'd end up getting mad again. _

But still, it's awfully lonely sitting in a dark room for hours with no one to talk to. He groans and stands up, stretching his stiff limbs. When he turns toward the light again, there's a deeply dissatisfied scowl on his face.

_Cling._

A kunai slips into his hand and he grips it, tightly. He takes a step toward Naruto, glaring at the young Jinchuuriki.

_I have to do it. _He reminds himself. _I'm going to destroy the Leaf Village...so this is just step number one in achieving that goal. By giving him to the Akatsuki, he'll be out of the way for good._

Naruto sighs in his sleep and rolls over, his arm flopping over his eyes. From this angle, his neck and shoulder are in perfect view. Sasuke could easily incapacitate him now. He grips the knife tighter, until his knuckles turn white.

_Come on. Just do it already! What are you waiting for?!_ Sasuke grinds his teeth together and takes another step toward Naruto. He kneels down beside him and points the kunai at him. His hand is hovering just above Naruto's collarbone. All the while, Sasuke's teammate doesn't stir in the least bit. He only continues to mutter along with his peaceful dreams...

* * *

_SMACK!_

Naruto gasps, his eyes snapping open. Bolting upright, he immediately spots the object that has slapped him across the face a moment ago... Grinding his teeth together in frustration, he grabs the pillow and turns to face Sasuke. "WHAT THE HECK, SASUKE?!" He shouts, furiously. "I THOUGHT I MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT I HATE BEING WOKEN UP LIKE THAT!"

Sasuke is sitting on the other end of the room, his arms folded. There's a very somber look on his face, even more so than usual. "You were snoring..." He mutters.

Naruto notices his teammate's gloomy tone and dark expression and frowns, his anger melting away. "So?" He asks, quieter than before. "It doesn't seem like you're even trying to sleep."

Sasuke doesn't respond.

"Is something bothering you?" Naruto mumbles. "I mean, if something happened..."

"Nothing happened." The Uchiha grumbles, avoiding Naruto's searching gaze. _That's exactly the problem...nothing happened. I couldn't kill him..._

Naruto tilts his head, thoughtfully. "Are you sure...?"

"Yeah." With that, Sasuke stands up and stretches his arms above his head. He strides across the room and sinks onto his bedroll. "Go to sleep. And try not to snore."

The other boy's eyes narrow but he doesn't say anything. Shaking his head, Naruto lays back down and closes his eyes. _He'll tell me when he's ready, I guess...If I try to coax it out of him anymore, he'll just get mad._

* * *

Several, sleepless hours pass before Sasuke notices the first few beams of grey light struggling through the shutters. In about an hour or so, the workers will start waking up and everyone will have to go back to work. But he feels like he hasn't slept in weeks, even though it's only been one night... With a deep frustrated sigh, he rolls over once more, trying to get comfortable enough to at least doze off for a while. But then-

He jumps to his feet, throwing his blanket off. Within a fraction of a second, he's on his feet, a kunai in hand. Who's chakra was that?! Spinning around toward the window, Sasuke freezes.

"Oh, you're awake. Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you..."

Sasuke scowls at him. "Madara..." He growls. "What are you doing here?"

The masked man tilts his head. "I just came to check on your progress..." He glances down at Naruto, who hasn't roused at his enemy's arrival. "Seems like you haven't had much."

"Tsk." The younger Uchiha shifts his weight and slides the knife back under his sleeve. "I just haven't had a chance yet." He gazes down at the blonde sleeping, peacefully at his feet and realizes what a pathetic lie it had been.

"Hm? Haven't had a chance?"

Sasuke frowns at the suspicion in his elder's voice.

"Well, it seems you have your chance now. Naruto trusts you enough to stay in the same room without sleeping with one eye open...use that to your advantage."

"Yeah..." It's the only thing he can think to say.

Beneath his mask, Madara's eyes narrow. A frown settles over his lips. "Listen, you can't continue to go around baring the name Akatsuki without aiding the cause. I chose you for this mission because I thought you could handle it. But if you don't want to-"

"I can do it." Sasuke interrupts him. "Don't underestimate me."

"Then why haven't you?" Madara demands, almost loudly. Beneath them, Naruto grumbles something and rolls over. When he speaks again, his tone is hushed. "Sasuke, I trust you to do this...but I also know it must be hard. He was your friend, after all and being here...must bring back some old feelings of loyalty and companionship. I do understand that."

Sasuke remains silent.

"I'll give you two more days to play with your little friends and reminisce about the good-ol-days. After that, I expect you to fulfill your responsibility to our organization. Understood?"

The raven hesitates, his eyes flicking across Naruto's peaceful expression. "Yeah. Understood."


	9. Friends

_**Chapter Nine**_

_**A/N:**__**Wrote this chapter while listening to the song 'Scene of Disaster' from the Naruto Shippuden OST :D It works well with the chapter, I think.**_

Naruto yawns deeply and stretches out his stiff limbs. Rolling over, he shivers at a cold breeze that flows in from an open window above him. _Hm? I thought I closed that last night... _ He shrugs and stands up, yawning again. "Huh?" He pads across the room and glances out into the hall. The bathroom door is open and the lights are off. Same for the small kitchenette. _Where'd Sasuke go...?_

* * *

Sakura reaches up, tying her headband over her hair before stepping away from the full length mirror in front of her. Smirking, absently, she turns and glances out the window. _I wonder how the boys fared last night? _

As if on que, she sees the door to her teammate's building opens up. When Naruto steps outside, he looks better rested than the previous day. Obviously, Sasuke hadn't disturbed him as much this time. The blonde's hands are stuffed into his pockets; his jacket is unzipped, showing a wrinkled white tee-shirt underneath and he isn't wearing his headband.

_Looks like he got dressed in a hurry...maybe they really are fighting again. _Without wasting anymore time, Sakura jogs to the door and goes outside to ask Naruto what happened.

"Hey, Naruto!" She calls.

He whips around quickly, as if she started him. "Oh, hey Sakura." He mutters. "Have you seen Sasuke around?"

"Hm?" She slows her steps, stopping a few feet away from him. "Not since yesterday. Why?"

This news seems to confuse him. "He was acting sorta weird last night. And now he's gone..."

"Gone?" Her expression tightens slightly. "Where would he go...?"

"No clue...should we go look for him?" Naruto mumbles, casting a look at the surrounding forests. Sasuke could be anywhere by now. _What if he left again?! What if-_

"No, I'm sure it's fine." Sakura says, decidedly. "Besides, the workers will be showing up any minute now. We've got to go on with the mission."

Naruto lowers his gaze. "Yeah...I guess you're right."

* * *

Very little light is able to penetrate the dense woods, making it almost pitch-black in some spots. And at least ten degrees colder than outside. Still, none of this seems to bother Sasuke as he continues to pace the forest floor. The Uchiha's face is dark and his arms are folded across his chest.

_"I'll give you two more days to play with your little friends...after that I expect you to fulfill your responsibility to our organization."_

Sasuke had told Madara that he simply hadn't gotten the chance to capture Naruto yet...but that had been a lie. And a bad one at that. Sasuke had had every opportunity in the world...the truth of the matter is that, he simply couldn't bring himself to do it when the time presented itself. And now? Where did that leave him? Pacing through the woods, feeling totally conflicted, that's where.

He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. _Why is it that I can't bring myself to kill him?! _He demands of himself for the hundredth time. _What's changed?! _

He finds no answer within himself. Only more confusion.

Turning his gloomy face upward, he notices how bright the sky is between patches of leaves. _I should get back...they'll wake up soon and notice I'm gone._

But just then-

Behind him, there's the sound of rustling leaves and something landing heavily upon the ground. Turning slowly, he finds Naruto standing behind him. The young Jinchuuriki's arms are crosses, accusingly.

"What are you doing out here?" Naruto demands.

The raven shrugs. "What about you? Since when do you wake up early?"

The blonde frowns at him. "It's not early anymore."

"Then shouldn't you be protecting the workers with Sakura?"

"I am." He shifts his weight, impatiently. "This me is a clone."

"Oh."

The clone sighs, deeply. "What's the matter, Sasuke? You've been acting weird lately...and now you're way out here by yourself..." His expression turns somber. "You've got to know how that looks to us..."

Sasuke nods. "Yeah, sorry...I just needed to be alone for a while."

"Alone...?" Naruto smiles, sadly. "You didn't answer my question. Something's bothering you..."

"Nothing's wrong." Sasuke insists, weakly. "I just felt like going for a walk and lost track of time."

"And I suppose you _wanted_ to stay awake the whole night too?"

He grits his teeth together. "And so what if I did?! What're you getting at, Naruto?!"

The blonde's expression softens. "All I'm saying is...your my friend, Sasuke." He smiles, brighter and adds, "So if something's bugging you, you can talk to me about it. Okay?" Naruto doesn't expect Sasuke to say anything so he turns leave. But right before he does-

"You wouldn't understand even if I told you." Sasuke mumbles.

Without turning around again, Naruto smirks. "You always say that."

"Hm?"

"Do you remember? When we fought at the Valley of the End, you said I didn't understand how you felt...because I'd never had a family of my own." He pauses for a moment, trying to keep his voice even. "Well, I think you were right about that. I thought I understood you...but I didn't. Back then, I didn't know what it felt like to lose someone."

Sasuke doesn't say anything. He just stands there, silently, listening to what Naruto is trying to say.

"But now...I think I do understand." Naruto's smirk melts away and he looks up at the patches of sky visible through the trees. "I get it now...what it feels like to really hate someone...what it's like for someone you care about to die..." For a long moment, Naruto doesn't say anything else. He just stands there, staring up at the sky. "I guess what I'm trying to say is...I think I understand you a little better now than before. I'm not the same little twerp you grew up with... So I guess, whatever it is that has you so upset, I think I could try to help you."

_Naruto..._

"But you need to talk to me first. I can't read your mind Sasuke..."

A moment later, the clone dissapears into a puff of smoke and Sasuke is left alone again. But now, for some reason, being alone doesn't sound so appealing to him anymore...


	10. A New Enemy

_**Chapter Ten**_

The moment his clone dissapears, Naruto's eyes widen. _So that's what took so long...I knew something was bothering Sasuke..._ The blonde sighs deeply and turns to Sakura. She's staring at him with a confused look on her face.

"Is something wrong?" She wonders.

"My clone found Sasuke." He tells her. "No need to worry. He's just off brooding in the woods..."

Sakura makes a face like she doesn't know what to think. "He'll come back though, right?"

Naruto nods.

"Then I guess...it's okay..." She lowers her gaze to the ground, seeming worried. Of course, who could blame her? She's probably just worried about losing Sasuke again. Or him getting attacked by bandits while he's out there alone.

_Psh, as if a bunch of bandits could hurt Sasuke... _Naruto's expression turns sour. _If the other day was any kind of indication, Sasuke'd probably just slaughter them before they even got the chance..._

It's at that moment that the two teamates hear what sounds like shoes crunching down over grass. They whirl around to find Sasuke stalking out of the trees, his face downcast. There's an odd glint in his eye, like's he's just come to some kind of conclusion. The Uchiha walks right up to them but doesn't say a word.

"S-Sasuke...?" Sakura mumbles, quietly.

He doesn't respond.

_What's the matter with him all of sudden? _Naruto grinds his teeth together, feeling frustrated by his friend's mood swings. One minute, it's like Sasuke never left. And the next, it's like he's plotting Naruto's murder! "Hey!" Naruto growls, taking a step closer. "Where have you been?" He demands, even though he knows the answer.

Sasuke cuts him a dark look out of the corner of his eye. "Shut up, idiot."

"What'd you say to me?!"

Sakura reaches out and grabs Naruto's arm before he can go any closer to Sasuke. The look in her tells him to just let it go. _Something isn't right here...I suddenly have a really bad feeling..._ She decides and releases his arm. _It's like this isn't the same Sasuke as yesterday. What happened? _

Naruto frowns, angrily but decides to listen to Sakura. He doesn't go any closer to Sasuke and, instead, moves to the other side of their watch post. Plopping onto the ground, he tries to distract himself by watching the workers who are getting very close to finishing the bridge.

* * *

Sasuke's sandles crunch over dead leaves and overgrowth as he trudges through the woods. After Naruto's clone had spoken with him, he had wanted to return immediately. But, of course, he hadn't wanted to seem _too _eager. That would only prove Naruto is right about him.

And during his time in the woods, Sasuke decided something. _I can't believe I'm about to admit this...but...I don't think I'll be able to do it. I wasn't able to kil him before and I don't think I'll be able to do it now... _He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. _That just means Madara will probably send someone else to do it... Which means... I'll have to warn Naruto eventually. _

With a small, defeated smirk, Sasuke also decides Naruto will probably be peeved that Sasuke only returned in order to betray him once again. _The idiot will just have to get over it. _He tells himself. _I don't-_

"SASUKE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" It's Sakura's voice that disrupts his train of thought. Turning around, he finds nobody near him. Her voice had sounded far off, anyway...but what did she mean? He's not even near her... Unless...

Sasuke swears loudly and takes of sprinting in the direction of their camp. _Something happened!_

* * *

Sasuke's attack had been so fast and precise. It nearly caught Naruto off guard. Luckily, the Jinchuuriki just barely managed to block his teammate's katana before it sunk into his chest. After clashing for a few more seconds, they break apart. Naruto flips backward, landing lightly on the balls of his feet.

"Sasuke!" He barks, furiously. "What are you doing?!"

Sasuke doesn't answer him. He simply continues staring at Naruto with blank, coal-colored eyes.

"Naruto!" The other voice comes from behind him.

Disoriented by the fact that Sasuke's voice is coming from behind him now, Naruto spins around to face him. "S-Sasuke?" Naruto stares as his friend comes running out of the woods, his weapon already drawn.

"Behind you, idiot!" He snaps.

Naruto spins again, countering the other Sasuke's sword just in time. "I don't get it! What the heck is going on here?!" He shouts.

The new Sasuke slows his steps and stops a few feet behind Naruto. "That's a fake. Sent by Madara to capture you."

"What? By Madara? But how do you-"

"I'll explain later. Just finish him off, already."

"Uh, right!" Naruto breaks his connection with the fake Sasuke and jumps away, weaving his favorite sign in midair. "Shadow clone jutsu!" There's a puff of smoke and another Naruto appears out of thin air. They land, heavily and the original holds out his hand to the clone, who starts molding his chakra into the original's palm.

The fake Sasuke tilts his head, curiously.

_He doesn't behave normally. Anyone in their right mind would try to attack Naruto while he's busy forming his jutsu...but this guy doesn't seem care if he gets hit._ Only then does it occur to Sasuke. "Ah! Wait, Naruto! Don't get near it-" But it's too late.

Naruto charges over the clearing, slamming the swirling ball of energy into the imposter's gut. "RASENGAN!"

"Tsk!" Sasuke grits his teeth together and starts running toward Naruto. _Moron! Didn't he hear what I said?! _

A confident smile crawls over Naruto's face as the fake Sasuke collapses, blood gushing from a massive wound on his abdomen. He shivers at how real the imposter looks...

"Naruto! Get away from it!" Sasuke barks again as he hurries toward his teammate.

"Huh? What do you-" But just then, Naruto gasps in shock as something wraps around his ankle. Whipping his gaze back down, he finds the fake Sasuke's hand-or some unnatural tenticle, where his hand used to be-has now slithered around leg. In a fraction of a second, the tenticle expands, becoming a twisted mass of writhing, white flesh. It's so large that is almost completely obscures Naruto's entire body from Sasuke's vision.

_What is that thing?! _Sasuke yanks the sword around and strikes, cutting into the freakish flesh. Some kind of nasty, yellow goo oozes out but it doesn't relinquish its grip on Naruto. If anything, the huge fan-shaped apendage starts moving closer to him, threatening to crush his entire body if it gets much tighter.

Naruto swears, struggling to move as the thing gradually consumes his body. _What's going on here?! What the heck is this!? _He tries to weave signs-maybe summoning a clone could help get him loose-but no, he can't lift his arms. He can't move much at all. But then-

_Creeak..._

He freezes, his breath catching in his throat. That sound... "Ah!" He winces as his ribs creak again, on the verge of breaking under the crushing weight.

Seeing this, Sasuke smashes his katana over the creature again but only succeeds in drawing out more disgusting goo and leaving shallow cuts along its surface. _Oh come on! _He weaves a sign, letting his chakra flow into his hand. "Chidori!" The Uchiha coils back his arm, driving it straight through the twisted mass. _That had to do something! _

More vile ooze explodes from the wound, but this time its different. The creature roars in agony and shambles back, simultaneously losing its grip on Naruto, who nearly collapses right then but manages to stay on his feet.

"You okay?" Sasuke asks, his eyes never leaving that horrid monster.

"Yeah..." Naruto reaches up, touching his side and wincing. Nothing was broken, fortunately. But it still hurts like hell...

"What was _that_?!" Sakura asks, kneeling beside Naruto as she inspects his wound. "It all happened so fast...I barely even realized what was going on!" Emerald chakra glows around her hands as she works to heal Naruto's strained ribcage. "Sit down." She instructs him.

He readily obeys, thankful to be off his shaking legs and oddly sore ankle. The blonde looks up to find Sasuke hovering a few feet away from the monstrosity. There's still a large amount of that slime coating his arm but he seems more concerned with the creature that lays, dying at his feet.

"We should take this thing back to the village so they can figure out what it is." Sasuke says.

"You want to bring that thing back to the village?!" Naruto reinterates, sounding horrified.

"Not all of it. It'd be too heavy to life."

"What...?"

With that, Sasuke uses his sword to chop off a section of the dead flesh.

"Eck! No way are we taking that with us!" Naruto barks, his face twisted in disgust.

"No, Sasuke's right." Sakura tells him, backing away from his healed body. "The ANBU might be able to find out where it came from...and how it disguised itself as Sasuke with no one noticing."

"Well there is one thing we already know." Sasuke says.

"What's that?"

"..." He hesitates, unsure of how to put it. "It came from Madara Uchiha. It must be something he created..."

"You said that earlier." Naruto recalls. "But how can you know that?"

The raven closes his eyes. "Because...I didn't do what he asked me to do. Now he's going to do it himself."


	11. The Failed Initiation

_**Chapter Eleven**_

"What are you talking about?"

Sasuke opens his eyes again to find Naruto and Sakura watching him with looks of immense confusion.

"What do you mean you didn't do what 'he asked you to do'?" Naruto folds his arms. He looks suspicious but Sasuke is positive that his blonde friend has no idea how close he was to death...to Sasuke betraying him once again.

"Sasuke...?" Sakura asks. She looks worried, as if she suspects what's going on. But her tone is hopeful.

The raven sighs in resignation. _I'm going to have to tell them one way or another. It might as well be now._ "I lied." He begins, bluntly. "I didn't come back to the village for the reasons I said I did."

Naruto nods. "I assumed as much." He grumbles.

"Then...why _did_ you come back?" Sakura asks. She, too, doesn't seem surprised so far.

_They knew I had ulterior motives. _Sasuke realizes. Then, shifting his weight awkwardly, he looks at the ground. "I came because I was hired to come here. By Madara Uchiha." Before he even looks up, he can see Naruto and Sakura's bodies go stiff. "He wanted me to capture Naruto because he knew you would come to trust me after a while."

"..."

"..."

A long silence passes. No one speaks. No one moves. Sasuke is still crouched beside the dead monster, his arm soaked through with gore. Sakura's eyes are wide with shock. But, as always, it's Naruto who breaks the silence.

"You...you're a member of the Akatsuki?" Naruto's tone is distant, his expression unreadable. He'd never once considered what would happen in Sasuke followed his brother's footsteps and joined the Akatsuki. How had the Leaf Village not been notified about this?

Sasuke nods.

"And...you were planning on capturing me." He continues.

"Yeah. I was."

"But you didn't." Naruto points out. His face darkens slightly. "You chose to help us instead. Why?"

Even though Sasuke didn't have the answer moments before, it's obvious to him now. It's the same reason Naruto never gave up on him. And why Sasuke hadn't been able to finish the job at the Valley of the End. "Because...you're my friend."

* * *

"Thank you for everything you've done." Kame says, smiling proudly. "We couldn't have finished the bridge so soon if you hadn't protected us against those bandits!"

Sakura shakes her head. "We were just doing our job. Are you sure you don't want us to send another team out? I mean, what if the bandits return...?"

"Don't worry about us." Says the business woman. "Now that we're not distracted by the project, we're perfectly capable of handing ourselves."

"Alright then. Good luck, everyone!" Sakura calls to the workers. "And good luck to you, Kame."

Kame nods and glances over Sakura's shoulder. "Be safe on your way home. And tell those boys of yours to quit their fighting."

The rosette offers a polite smile before looking to her teammates who are waiting for her by the edge of the woods. "Not sure how good that'll do. Those two have never really gotten along."

"Oh, really?" Kame tilts her head. "They seem pretty close to me..."

Suddenly, Sakura frowns. "Yeah, well...it's complicated. Right now, we just need to get home and sort things out."

"I understand." Kame says. "Goodbye."

"Bye, Kame." After that, Sakura rushes over to where her teammates are waiting. "You guys ready to go?" She asks them.

"Yep."

"Hn."

"Then let's go. Lady Tsunade needs to know what happened. If the Akatsuki really is go to start seriously pursuing Naruto,"-She shudders at the thought-"Then we need to be ready for another attack." Team 7 rockets into the trees without another moment's hesitation.

* * *

The trees flash past in a blur as Naruto and his team sprint through the forest. The sun is setting and the sky is already grey. The few stars that should be twinkling, are blotted out by thick storm clouds. Thunder rumbles in the distance. It's going to start raining soon.

"Maybe we should stop for the night." Sakura suggests, having to shout over another clap of thunder. "To set up camp before the storm hits."

"No, we're too close to the village. There's no point." Naruto argues. "Besides, you said it yourself. Grandma Tsunade has to know what we found out." He glances sideways at Sasuke, unsure of what to think about his teammate's confession. _Sasuke was planning on killing me...on handing me over to the Akatsuki..._ Naruto always puts on a strong face in front of his enemies...but in all honesty, he's terrified of the Akatsuki. Particularly Madara Uchiha. The man that no jutsu seems to affect. It's like he's invincible or immortal. Naruto is practically defenseless against him. When the day comes that Madara decides it's Naruto's turn to die...he won't have a way to protect himself. And that thought is terrifying. It shakes him to the very core. _But now's not the time to be worrying about something like that...I'll figure _

"I guess you're right..." Sakura admits.

But just then-

_"I'm dissapointed in you, Sasuke."_

The young Uchiha halts instantly, a chill rolling down his spine. Odd that Madara's voice would have such an influence on him al of a sudden... Naruto and Sakura stop too. Evidently, they had heard the ghostly voice as well.

"Madara!" Naruto shouts, angrily. He spins in a full circle, scanning the trees. But he finds no one.

_"I thought I could entrust this mission to you. You, of all people, I thought I could trust... Obviously, I was mistaken."_

"Why are you hiding, Madara?!" Sasuke barks. "Come out!"

_"I'm a little busy right now. I'm only projecting my voice through a vortex, not my whole body. It's like you said, Sasuke. You could not handle the mission I gave you. It's time I take it on myself."_

Naruto shivers at the meaning behind that.

_"The Nine Tailed Fox will be mine. And Naruto will die. I'll make sure of that, personally."_ With that, his voice trails off and dissapears entirely, replaced by the growl of far off thunder.


	12. Gerotora

_**Chapter Twelve**_

_**A/N: LAST CHAPTER, GUYS! Be sure to check out the next book in the series (as of now, it will be called Proposition)! (Also, if the description of the Akatsuki lair sounds firmiliar...it might be because I only have one brain...and I'm pretty sure I've used those exact words before. Not sure where...only that I think I have. XDDD)**_

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Tsunade's voice is loud enough to shake the entire office. Her fists are grinding into the wood of her desk, leaving shallow dents in the surface.

"N-no ma'am." Shizune stammers, nervously. "We just got the report this morning...and it's been confirmed. Sasuke Uchiha belongs to the Akatsuki organization..."

Tsunade flops into her chair, massaging her throbbing temples. She groans in frusteration. "And we just sent him on a mission WITH his target! HOW DID HE GET PAST HIS INTERROGATION?!" She demands.

"U-um, I have the newest information of the Foundation...it seems one member is missing. He is believed to have been a spy...he's also the one who interrogated Sasuke Uchiha prior to his mission..."

"Those arrogant..." She snarls, furiously. "They have spies within our most trusted, elite group?! It seems this whole thing was planned from the start. Madara really knows what he's doing."

Shizune bows her head. _Naruto...I hope you're still okay._

"Shizune," The Fifth Hokage stands up again, slamming her hands onto the desk once more. "Assemble a team. We're sending one after them. I want Sasuke Uchiha arrested on sight!"

"Yes, My Lady!"

* * *

_"The Nine Tails will be mine...and Naruto will die. I'll see to that, personally."_

Naruto shudders. _What a creep...but still..._ What had he meant by that? Surely, it was just another meaningless threat or empty promise...right? So was it so disturbing? This one just felt more...real. Like it had been a genuine threat. Maybe it's just because they'd nearly captured him, using Sasuke. And the only reason he's still alive is because Sasuke turned on Madara at the last minute. Maybe it really does mean nothing.

Or...maybe Madara is planning something...? He _did_ say he was busy...

_No! _Naruto shakes his head, furiously. _Stop being so paranoid. Madara is just trying to get into my head!_

Just then, a small voice in the back of his mind says, _Well apparently it's working._

Hearing that, Naruto sighs. _Anyway, I'll worry about this later. Right now, we've got to focus on getting home and- _"Ah!" Naruto cries out in shock as something suddenly wraps around his waist, yanking him off his feet and into the air.

Sakura and Sasuke spin around at the sound of his voice. "Naruto!" She shouts.

He lands heavily, flat on his back. "Oof!"

"Sorry 'bout that, Naruto." Someone says. The voice is firmiliar.

"Choji?!" Naruto jumps to his feet. Looking down, he finds Choji's hand-enlarged by his body expansion jutsu-is what grabbed him a moment ago.

"Yeah, it's a drag, but we've got orders." Someone else says behind them. "As it turns out, Sasuke is part of the Akatsuki..."

The confused Jinchuuriki blinks at Shikamaru. "Yeah, we already knew that." He grumbles.

"Huh?!"

"Nevermind!" Naruto says, exasperated. "We'll explain everything later. But right now, what's important is that Madara showed up again."

"He did?!" Both Choji and Shikamaru seem equally as shocked by this news. "When? Where? What happened?!"

"Like I said, I'll explain later. Let's just get home, okay?!"

"But..." Choji glances to his teammate. "We have orders..."

"About what?!" Naruto demands.

Shikamaru sighs. "Listen, Lady Hokage heard that Sasuke was Akatsuki and immediately sent us to arrest him. Those're our orders right now so...we're gonna have to go through with them."

"Are you kidding me?!" Naruto jabs a finger at Sasuke and shouts, "He saved me earlier! He's not going to betray us!"

"Sorry, Naruto." Shikamaru says. "No offense, but there's no way of knowing if he has you under Genjutsu or something. He may have convinced you into believing him."

"No, Naruto's right!" Sakura insists. "Sasuke saved both of us!"

The two boys of team 10 exchange conflicted looks. Could Sasuke have them both under an illusion? "Listen guys-" But Shikamaru doesn't get a change to finish. In a flash, Sasuke is right in front of them.

Naruto tenses. _What's he going to do?!_

But then, the Uchiha holds out his wrists. A surrender. "It's fine." He says. "I don't intend of betraying anyone so I'll have no problem with another interrogation."

"But Sasuke-" Sakura begins.

"It's alright." He interrupts her. "Trying to convince them to let me go would take too long. Just get home and tell Tsunade what happened."

_Home...? _Sakura stares at him for a moment, momentarily taken aback. Sasuke really just called Konoha home... She smiles. "Got it." With that, she turns and grabs Naruto's arm. "Let's go."

He glances at Sasuke and then back at Sakura. _Did I miss something? _"Ah!" He gasps when Sakura suddenly yanks him forward as she falls into a sprint.

"Hurry up and pass the interrogation, Sasuke!" She calls back. "We're going to need your help soon!"

"Yeah, yeah." He replies, dully. A trace of a smirk on his pale lips.

* * *

Almost no light invades the damp cave. Somewhere off in the distance, the sound of water dripping from a high place onto the rock floor can be heard. But within the darkness, a sort of vortex opens and a masked man steps through.

"Zetsu," He says.

Out of the floor, an unnatural form suddenly materializes. Zetsu's body is only half-complete. His other half is off somewhere else...

"Did you find what I need?" Madara asks him.

"Of course." Zetsu steps out of the ground. Tucked under his arm is the battered, bloody form of a summoning toad... "Gerotora..." He says, matter-of-factly. "Within the scroll on his belly, is the key you're looking for."

Beneath his mask, Madara smiles. "The key to the eight trigrams seal...the only thing locking the kyuubi within his host."

Zetsu drops the dead toad onto the ground and backs away. "What do you plan on doing with this?" He asks, curiously. "That key belongs to Naruto Uzumaki now that Jiraiya has died. You can't hope to use it yourself..."

The masked man nods. "Oh, don't worry. I'm not going to use it." He chuckles as he leans down and ruthlessly yanks open the dead toad's scroll. "Naruto is going to break the seal himself..."

_**A/N: DUN DUN DUN! XD I hope you like it! Keep a look out for book 2: Proposition! (Gerotora is the frog from the episode entitled "Storage" You'll find more about him in the next book, assuming you don't remember him already.)**_


End file.
